DRC Justice Minister Resigns Amid Embezzlement Probe and M23 Accusations

The Justice Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Constant Mutamba, has resigned following the publication of a letter on Wednesday, showing he is under investigation for allegedly embezzling government funds.

Mutamba had previously advocated for capital punishment for corrupt individuals, and he stepped down after prosecutors requested parliamentary approval on Monday to initiate an investigation concerning claims that he misappropriated funds intended for a $40-million prison project in the northeastern city of Kisangani.

The official, who also holds a seat in parliament, refuted the allegations in his resignation letter addressed to President Felix Tshisekedi and the administration, describing them as a “stab in the back.”

“I am submitting my resignation, not without regret, to confront this political plot,” Mutamba wrote, accusing the M23 of seeking to “physically eliminate” him.

Appointed to his position in May 2024, Mutamba has accused neighbouring Rwanda of attempting to tarnish his reputation.

He is a staunch opponent of the Rwandan government, which UN experts assert has significant control over the M23 armed group, notorious for its prolonged violent conflict in eastern DR Congo.

On Monday, authorities banned Mutamba from departing the capital, Kinshasa, after the National Assembly sanctioned a judicial investigation against him last month.

The former DR Congo minister faces accusations of illegally transferring $19.9 million to a construction firm without the necessary authorisation